• Married
• Two grown children
• Member of Immanuel Baptist Church
• BS East Tennessee State University in 1973
• Masters Eastern Kentucky University in 1975
• Served as Faculty member of Aquinas Jr. College for three years
• Executive Director of the Tennessee Optometric Association for over 20 years

Public Office

• House member of the 95th through 105th General Assemblies
• Democratic Majority Leader
• Chair, House Ethics Committee
• Chair, House Rules Committee
• Member, House Finance, Ways and Means Committee
• Member, House Health and Human Resources Committee
• Member, House Government Operations Committee
• Member, House Calendar and Rules Committee
• Member, House Budget Subcommittee
• Member, House Professional Occupations Subcommittee
• Member, Joint TACIR Committee
• Member, Joint Worker's Compensation Committee
• Member, Joint Lottery Oversight Committee
• Member, Joint Tenncare Oversight Committee
• Metro Council of Nashville from 1983 to 1995
• Special Investigator for the Tennessee State Attorney General's Office

Awards and Honors

• Legislative Victory Award 2006 by the TN Association of Mental Health Association
• Honored by the Tennessee Primary Care Association
• Honored by the Tennessee Academy of Physician Assistants
• Honored by the Tennessee Physical Therapists Association
• Honored twice by the Tennessee Nurses Association
• Legislator of the Year Award by the National Rural Health Association in 1996. He was the first State Legislator in the country to receive this honor.
• Received TN Environmental Council's 1998 Outstanding Conservation Advocate Award
• Legislator of the year by the Environmental Action Fund
• Legislator of the year by the Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association
• Legislator of the year by the Tennessee Environmental Council
• Legislator of the year by the National Wildlife Federation
• Received Honors from the Tennessee Task Force Against Domestic Violence
• Legislator of the year twice by the Tennessee Chiropractic Association
• Legislator of the year by the Tennessee Psychological Association
• Statesman of the year by the Tennessee Optometric Association
• Certificate of Appreciation by the Mayor's Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities
• 2004 Legislator of the year by the Tennessee Assembly of Surgical Technologists
• 2004 Legislator of the year by the American Association of Surgical Technologists